11/07/2025
🇵🇰 Tackling Depression in Diabetes – A Landmark Achievement for RMU and KMU! 🧠🩺
Rawalpindi Medical University and Khyber Medical University have made history by leading the completion of DiaDeM, a prestigious four-year international research programme dedicated to addressing depression in people living with diabetes in South Asia. Under the visionary leadership of Prof. Muhammad Umar (Vice Chancellor, RMU) and Prof. Zia ul Haq (Vice Chancellor, KMU), the programme was successfully conducted by Prof. Asad Tamizuddin Nizami and Dr. Saima Afaq as International Co-Investigators and Dr. Faiza Mujeeb as International Programme Manager.
To celebrate this remarkable achievement and shape a brighter future, an Expert Consensus Building Meeting was jointly organised by Rawalpindi Medical University, Khyber Medical University, Aga Khan University, The Indus Hospital and Health Network, The Initiative in Pakistan and the University of York (UK) in Islamabad. This momentous event brought together over 40 key stakeholders, including eminent policymakers, researchers, mental health professionals, and community leaders from Pakistan, UK, USA, and Afghanistan.
The event was graced by the presence of Syed Mustafa Kamal, Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination of Pakistan, as the chief guest, and Mr. Mukhtar Ahmed Barath, state minister of health.
Participants shared key findings from the DiaDeM project, which demonstrated that Behavioural Activation (BA) — a simple, culturally adapted talking therapy — is effective in treating depression and can be delivered by non-specialists in routine diabetes care, inspiring hope for a better tomorrow.
The expert meeting successfully fostered consensus building and co-developed a roadmap to scale up depression care in diabetes across Pakistan, helping bridge the mental health treatment gap using evidence-based, resource-efficient solutions, and paving the way for a brighter future.
